I’ve been kayaking for a while, but not fishing from one. I’m thinking about trying it. I am a little concerned about alligators though. I had one growl at me yesterday an Lake Moultrie. I moved close to the reeds to look at some wood duck chicks. He was in the reeds, and I never saw him, but that growl was unmistakable. What are your experiences?
Thanks,
TheHawg
There are r2 kinds of gators; the normal wild variety and ones that been acclimated to people. The first kind are very rarely a threat as long as you don’t approach their nest site. In general if they hear you coming, they get out of sight. When you get too close, they give you a warning. All in all, a pretty peaceful co-existence.
The second type scares the bejeezus out of me. You’ll recognize these because they hang around boat ramps looking for handouts. They’ll sit and watch you fish, then try to attack anything you hook. I’ve run across a few of these at Moultrie. Bushy Park, aka Jurassic Park, was loaded with them last year including about a 12 footer that always gave me the willies. Heard a rumor that she filled someone’s tag last fall.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
I don’t have a kayak (yet) but I do have a great respect for the alligator. I once saw a 12’ gator take down a full-grown black lab at the Bettis boat landing (Goose Creek Reservoir). That experience had a profound effect on me and it scared me to the point where I stopped fishing there for a couple years.
That place is chock full of gators.
I was pulling my boat out one day, and a fella drove by and dumped a bucket full of fish guts & heads into the reservoir - right by the ramp. It was like he rung the dinner bell. I counted about seven gators ranging in size from 4’ to 10’ come in and feed. It was scary. I told the guy that he was an idiot and I threated to call the DNR on him. He ran off and drove away before I could get a good look at his tag…not before I gave him an ear-full.
Years before those incidents, I once had a gator make a grab at my stringer of fish I had hung over the side of my small fiberglass boat. I was sitting there fishing and I noticed the boat started to move. I let him have 'em, and stopped using a stringer after that day.
I am getting a kayak for sure, but I’m not going to the Goose Creek Reservoir to fish with it.
a friend of mine was at the beach today around 42nd street on iop and there was an 8ft gator that someone spotted in the surf and the dnr came to the rescue… just fyi
thats rare though
could be a gator, could be a salt water croc. DNR pulled one out of the surf at IOP this time last year.
Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
Newspaper here in Cola reported it was a gator that was somewhat battered and bruised from his efforts to get back to freshwater.
Hey Too Busy I had a 14’ pop up beside up towards Paradise landing about a month ago, he was HUGE, Haven’t been out in the yak since haha. Been sticking to the boat, that water is real salty. Got a friend going up there for him as soon as his tag comes in